Nine Things to Know About the Hyperloop One Global Challenge

If you want the Hyperloop to be built in your city or country, this is your chance. The Hyperloop One Global Challenge aims to identify and select locations around the world with the potential to develop and construct the world’s first Hyperloop networks. Find out more on our registration page.

It’s already very global. To date we have 500 registrants from more than 80 countries, including recent entries from Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, the Czech Republic and Albania. (When we do a global challenge we mean it.)

You don't have to be a huge entity to enter and win--but huge entities are entering and planning to win. A diverse array of the world’s biggest companies, governments and agencies have already registered. They include: Intel, AECOM, Gensler, Siemens, Google, Systra, Eventbrite, Korea National University of Transportation, NASA, State Bank of India, Connekt, State of Alaska, State of Colorado, Development Bank of South Africa, KPMG, Institute of Space Technology Pakistan, Ryder Architecture.

Colorado is really into it. A group in Colorado is organizing a statewide call to bring individuals and organizations together to formalize an entry. They envision a Hyperloop system running north-south through the state. Read more about it here.

AECOM is really into it. AECOM is one of the world’s biggest design and engineering firms and is committing financing and technical assistance to a select number of AECOM teams (globally) so they can submit competitive proposals for the Global Challenge.

The Dutch are really into it. Connekt, a multi-stakeholder consortium out of the Netherlands, is hosting a country-wide contest to find the best entry for the Global Challenge. More info can be found here.

The judges are a bright and knowledgeable bunch (and did we mention global?). They include X Prize Foundation chairman Peter Diamandis (also a board member of Hyperloop One), international rail industry adviser Bassam Mansour, logistics industry veteran Ulla Tapaninen (also an economic development advisor to the city of Helsinki), FirstGroup’s group engineering director Clive Burrows, and MIT professor of urban design Alan Berger. Please be respectful of our judges. You could be disqualified if you try to lobby them or contact them separately.

You don’t have a ton of time to register. We’re taking submissions through Sept 15 and twelve finalists will be announced in the first quarter of 2017. The judges will select three winners in the second quarter of 2017.

It’s completely winnable, if you think through the big issues. The teams that stand the best chance of winning are those who present a compelling case for a real Hyperloop corridor, as in a favorable economic model, investment case and the willpower to advance the regulatory climate. Winners will be able to tap further into our network of partners, get full access to our technology and our ability to help raise capital in creative ways.